Automobile frame and spring



0. W. KILTZ.

AUTOMOBILE FRAME AND SPRING.

APPLICATION F|LED'DEC.22. 1919.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

C. W. KILTZ.

AUTOMOBILE FRAME AND SPRING.

APPLICATION FILED 050.22. 1919.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

u a. '5' I SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. KILTZ, F EVANSVILLE, INDIANA.

AUTOMOBILE FRAME AND SPRING.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented DIal. 29, 1921.

' Application filed December 22, 1919. Serial No. 346,537.

To all coho mit may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. K nrz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evansville, in the county of Vanderburgh and State of Indiana, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Automobile Frames and Springs, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to automobile frames and springs of that general class whereby the advantages of a relatively great length of wheelbase will beobtaine'd by the use of a wheelbase of much shorter length than would ordinarily afford easy riding qualities.

I am aware that attempts have been made heretofore to accomplish the fore oing object by special forms of springs, but I know of no earlier frame or spring arrangement or combination of the two'intended for this purpose which embodies the improvements hereinafter set forth.

My object is to provide a novel combination of frames and springs to accomplish the object of affording the easy riding qualities of a relatively long wheelbase in a car which has a relatively short wheelbase and, further, to provide a shock-absorbing construction in connection with the improvements whereby lateral swaying of the car body is minimized.

In my invention I provide at both ends of the'chassis supplemental frames which are pivoted to the chassis along the line of the longitudinal axis thereof and mount these supplemental frames on leaf springs which may be of any ordinary or preferred type, the said springs being connected to the axles. In addition thereto there are interposed between the supplemental frames and the chassis, shock absorbers which may be of any suitable kind.

The effect is that the ordinary frame or chassis is supported solely from the supplemental frames, the latter being. in turn, supported by the axles through the intervention of the springs. The main and supplemental frames constitute, therefore, a springsupported structure which carries the body of the car.

I am aware that my invention may be carried out by modification of the construction hereinafter described and which is shown in the accompanying drawings and I do not. therefore, limit myself to the precise arrangement and construction disclosed as it is to be considered as illustrative instead of restrictive ofthe invention.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 IS a plan view;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation;

Fig. 4 is a section on theline 1, and

Fig. 5 is a detail of one of the mental frames and the pivot shaft.

. The main frame appears at 1 and the supplemental frames are shown at 2. The axles 3 are carried in the wheels 4.

Instead of directly supporting the main frame or chassis 1 from the axles 3, said frame is supported from the supplemental frames 2 through shock absorbers 5. The

4-4 of Fig.

suppleshock absorbers 5 may be of any desired form and have their parts connected to the frame 1 and the frames 2, respectively. The use of shock absorbers 5 not only enhances the easy riding qualities of the vehicle but, also, minimizes the swaying or lateral tilting of the body as these shock absorbers preclude the frame 1 from tilting past certain limits.

The supplemental frames 2 are pivotally connected to'the main frame 1 by shafts 6 which lie in the longitudinal axis of the frame 1. The shafts 6 are ournaled at 7 in cross pieces 1 of frame 1 and there provided with suitable collars to limit rearward and forward movement. Also the shafts are journaled in the end pieces of frame 1 at 8 and there held by collars. The shafts 6 are securely and rigidly fastened to frames 2 at 9 as, for instance, by bolts or welded solid. As shown in Fig. 5, the frames 2 are, in effect, integral with the shafts 6.

Those portions of the frames 2 repre sented by 2 which lie outside the end portions of frame .1 are supported by leaf springs 10, the latter havlng any suitable connections 11 with the frames 2 and being suitably secured to the axles 3 at 12.

spring construction is that there is obtained the result of a wheel base extending from A to B, a distance of, say one hundred and thirty-six inches, whereas the actual wheelbase represented by (3-D, is much less, say

one hundred inches.

In an automobile having my improvements, when a wheel strikes a hole or rut,

instead of the jar being conveyed to the main body of the car through the chassis, the greatest extent of the jar will be conveyed to the spring on the side of the car opposite to that side Whose Wheel receives the impact. This is because the Weight of the vehicle rests on the shafts 6 and for the reason that the shock absorbers 5 are sufliciently resilient to yield to all jars and not to convey the at that point.

lVhat I claim is z 1. In a vehicle, the combination with a main frame or chassis, of supplemental frames, pivotal means suspending the main frame from the supplemental frames at points beyond the ends of the main frame, wheels, and axles therefor located under the main frame and disposed inwardly from the ends thereof, and springs interposed between the supplemental frames and the axles. V

2. In a vehicle, the combination with a main frame or chassis, of supplemental frames, pivotal means suspending the main frame from the supplemental frames at points beyond the ends of the main frame, Wheels, and axles therefor located under the main frame and disposed inwardly from the ends thereof, springs interposed between the supplemental frames and the axles, and shock absorbers interposed between the main frame and the supplemental frames.

3. In. a vehicle, the combination with a main frame or chassis, of supplemental frames, pivotal means suspending the main frame from the supplemental frames at points beyond the ends of the main frame, Wheels, and axles therefor located under the main frame and disposed inwardly from the ends thereof, and springs supporting said supplemental frames.-

f. In a vehicle, the combination with a main frame or chassis, of supplemental frames, pivot shafts arranged longitudinally of the main frame which pivotally support the main frame from the supplemental frames, Wheels, and axles therefor located under the main frame and disposed inivardly from the ends thereof, springs supporting said supplemental frames, and shock v absorbers interposed between the main frame and the supplemental frames.

In .a vehicle, the combination with a main frame or chassis, of supplemental frames, pivot shafts arranged longitudinally of the main frame which pivotally support the main frame from the supplemental frames at points beyond the ends of the main frame, Wheels, and axles therefor located under the main frame and disposed inwardly from the ends thereof, and springs supporting said supplemental frames.

e. In a vehicle, the combination with a main frame or chassis, of supplemental frames, pivot shafts arranged longitudi nally of the main fame which pivotally support the main frame from the supplemental frames at points beyond the ends of the main frame, Wheels, and axles therefor located under tl e main frame and disposed inwardly from the ends thereof, springs supporting said supplemental frames from the axles, and shock absorbers interposedbctween the main frame and the sup plemental frames.

In testimony whereof CHARLES W. KILTZ.

l affix my signature. 

